The Dodgers are back home at Dodger Stadium, staring down the barrel of up to three more games this week to keep their championship dream alive. But here’s the kicker: for a team that absolutely raked on the road all regular season, their offense has been playing hide-and-seek, especially when it counts. They need to find that spark, and fast.
This Home vs. Road Split Is Wild, And Not In A Good Way
You wouldn’t believe the difference in their bats this year. During the regular season, the Dodgers were straight-up road warriors. They averaged a massive 5.26 runs per game away from home, hitting .263/.347/.429 with a 114 wRC+. Get this, those numbers were *tops* in the entire majors! Their road batting average was a full nine points clearer than the next best team, the Rays. Their on-base percentage? A ridiculous 16 points better than the Cubs and Brewers, who were tied for second.
Then you look at their home numbers, and it’s like a different team showed up. At Dodger Stadium, they hit .250/.329/.419 with a 107 wRC+, which ranked ninth in the league, and only averaged 4.63 runs per game. That’s a huge drop-off, and now they’re relying on those home crowds in the NLCS. Manager Dave Roberts tried to keep it cool on Wednesday, saying, “I’m not too concerned about the urgency. I just want to keep that intensity. It’s going to be good to be at home, play in front of the home crowd, again, win a game and then go from there.” Easy for him to say from the dugout, right?
The Postseason Road Trip From Hell
What’s even crazier is how dead their bats have been on their recent four-game road swing, which included games in Atlanta and Milwaukee. We’re talking a total of 11 runs scored, with a pathetic .181/.254/.260 slash line. Eleven runs in four games? That’s barely enough to win one! The only two hits they even managed with runners in scoring position all October came on that trip, both Andy Pages singles, one in Atlanta, one in Milwaukee.
It’s been like pulling teeth to get anyone to touch home plate. We even saw them needing Logan Henderson’s three bad throws just to squeak out four runs in Game 2 of the NLCS. This team needs something, anything, to get the offense rolling. You’ve gotta wonder if their faith in a diminished Shohei Ohtani is even justified at this point. The Brewers, by comparison, have hit the only two home runs so far in this NLCS.
Can the Long Ball Save Them Against Gasser?
If there’s one thing that *could* kickstart this offense, it’s the long ball. While they hit 101 homers at home in the regular season compared to 103 on the road, Dodger Stadium was actually a better place for dingers per plate appearance. They hit a home run once every 29.4 plate appearances at home, versus one every 31.5 PAs away. And let’s not forget, they smashed five home runs in the first two games of the Division Series against the Braves. That’s the kind of power they need to unlock.
Tonight, they’re facing left-hander Robert Gasser, who allowed a perfectly normal 15 home runs in his 21 games and 109 1/3 innings this season. He gave up a home run for the only run against him in his four innings during Game 4 of the NLDS. The Dodgers have had some success against him this year, hitting three home runs in two starts. Teoscar Hernández got one in Milwaukee, and Andy Pages and Tommy Edman both went yard against him in Los Angeles. Gasser himself noted the familiarity, telling reporters Monday, “They know me, and I know them. I enjoy having some familiarity with a lineup. Looking back to the game in August and kind of watchi.” Let’s hope that familiarity works in the Dodgers’ favor and their bats finally wake up. They’re at home, the NLCS is hanging in the balance, and it’s time to win a game.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by True Blue LA.
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